Three (or Four) ways the Father loves Elijah (and you)

Elijah is running for his life. (It’s a story found in 1 Kings 19. If you haven’t or it’s been a minute, you should read it.) The prophet is so weary and fearful that he sits under a tree and asks God to take his life. But instead, the Heavenly Father shows him love.

• First, love is experienced through naps (vv.5,6). Notice that Elijah slept, woke up, and slept again. He gets two naps. Many of us believe God loves us so much that he sent his one and only son to die for us, get buried, and then rise in victory over Satan, sin, and death. But, do you think the Father loves you enough to let you take a nap? Scientific research is only now starting to capture the healing power of sleep. Professor of psychology and neurology at UC Berkeley, Matthew Walker explains in his book Why We Sleep, “The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep." He goes on to explain one of the reasons for this is that a lack of sleep makes our brains foggy and our memory suffers. Good sleep helps us remember what's real and good and true.

• Second, love is experienced through snacks (vv.6,8). The angel's message is clear: arise and eat. What a brilliant gospel sermon. Rise and eat. Enjoy a cake baked on hot stones. Yes, please. Enjoy a jar of water. Absolutely. The psalmist praises God, “You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart” (Psalm 104:14-15). You and I were created with a dependency upon food––for nourishment and pleasure. Sometimes we’re afraid. But we're also thirsty and hungry. And a good meal settles our souls and reminds us of God's favor and grace.

• Third, love is experienced through touch (vv.5,7). The angel doesn't just speak words and give gifts, the angel touches Elijah. Twice. Because of sin, we've grown skeptical of touch. And in many ways, we should be very careful. However, in God's good design physical touch is healing. After all, Elijah feels alone. Few things combat the lie of isolation like touch. Just this year psychologist Julian Packheiser from Ruhr University in Germany reviewed over 200 research projects and discovered that physical touch combats anxiety, depression, and even physical pain (The Healing Power of Touch: New Scientific Insights, April 14, 2024). Touch can restore the assurance of safety and peace, helping us remember connection and relationship.

Two naps.

Two snacks.

Two touches.

This is a powerful and deeply physical experience of the Father's love right in the middle of fear. In fact, it's a whisper of the incarnation of the Son of God. You see, God himself doesn't simply speak words and give gifts, he shows up in the flesh amidst our fears (see John 1:14). That's what led the Apostle John to say, “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ... There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:16,18). Elijah is learning to abide in the God who is love.

However, there's one more thing ...

Perhaps even more powerful than naps, snacks, and touch … the Father shows his love by not killing Elijah. Which leads us to a wonderful tangent: isn't it good that God does not listen to us? We spend a lot of energy frustrated by this though, don't we? We get mad at God for not doing what we ask him to do. And yet, one of the greatest kindnesses of our Heavenly Father, one of the most profound ways we experience his love, is that he doesn't give us what we want. Think about all the ways our prayers change once we have more information ... more time ... more context ... or more sleep, food, and connection. While the old adage says, God doesn't give us what we want but gives us what we need. I think his love is greater still. God doesn't give us what we want, he gives us new wants. He doesn't just meet needs, he transforms desires (see Job 17:11). This is how Elijah experiences the Father's love. The Father doesn't give him what he wants. Instead, the Father transforms him through love.

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This is an excerpt from the sermon "The Father’s Love.” You can watch the whole message here.